Chapter 22

My grandmother and Gwendoline were hovered together at the foot of my bed when I awoke.  They were talking too softly for me to understand their words, but it was clear they were concerned.

“What happened,” I asked as I struggled to get up.

Gwendoline rushed to my side and gently pushed me back down onto the bed.

“Ye need to lie still, lass,” she said gently.  “That babe inside ye took a beating during your battle to save Luthias.  He’s debating whether to stay in there or leave us.”

I could see the moistness in Gwendoline’s eyes as she struggled to control her emotions.

“I’m losing my baby?” I said incredulously.

My grandmother pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down to comfort me as she’d done so many times over the years.

“You fought ferociously, sweetheart. The strain on your body, combined with Sybil’s full weight slamming on